Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Books

The Cuckoo’s Haiku

The Cuckoo’s Haikuis better than a bird guide! It’s a haiku field notebook in which Michael Rosen captures the essential characteristics of twenty-four common North American birds. His spare observations are complemented by the gorgeous watercolor illustrations by Stan Fellows – who details everything from field markings to habitat.

I like the way it is structured – by the seasons. It opens with spring, and the Eastern Bluebird.

on a staff of wires

blue notes inked from April skies

truly, springs first song

In addition to haiku, Rosen includes field notes: the chestnut throat and breast; the males are darker and brighter blue; that bluebirds are thrushes, related to robins. Fellows paints them perched on electrical wires like notes on a staff which, if I could read music, I could play on my recorder.

Head over to Sally’s Bookshelf for some beyond-the-book activities and a peek at one of the inside spreads.